Stop Environmental Racism, Pass S232/A2212 - July 30, 2020

Thursday July 23, 2020

Dear Members of the NJ State Assembly,

It is long known that communities of color and low-income neighborhoods often bear the greatest burden of pollution and COVID has only exacerbated the problem. This impacts our physical and economic health, quality of life, and ability to thrive, learn, and work.

Unfortunately, the NJ Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) currently does not have a policy in place directing it to review pollution permit applications based on the cumulative impacts of toxic emissions from polluting facilities in a neighborhood.

That’s why it’s so important that a strong cumulative impacts bill (S232/A2212, Singleton-Weinberg- ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ Ruiz+2/McKeon-Vainieri Huttle-Timberlake+17) passes the full Assembly on July 30th. This bill has already passed ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ the full Senate and the Assembly Environment Committee, and has the strong support of Governor Murphy, Senator ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ Booker, the NJ Urban Mayors Association, Lt. Governor Oliver, and DEP Commissioner McCabe. ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ The bill is on 2nd reading and gives DEP the authority under reasonable circumstances to reduce cumulative disproportionate pollution impacts in environmental justice communities. It is a needed first step in correcting a legacy of environmental racism and injustice by expanding the rights of residents to weigh in on decisions, reducing disproportionate pollution burdens, promoting clean businesses over toxic industries, and making a leader in the fight for environmental justice. For more information on the bill, see the attached FAQ. ​ ​ This bill is long overdue. We urge you to do everything in your power, not just voting for but speaking up, to ensure ​ ​ ​ this bill, that not only stops future environmental injustice but also begins to reduce existing disproportionate and ​ unfair pollution burdens, gets on the Governor’s desk by July 30th. ​ ​ The importance of passing this legislation into law could not be greater as the federal government works to roll back protections. We need our state to step up, be courageous and honor the legacy of John Lewis, civil rights leader and congressman, who passed away last weekend.

To discuss this further please contact: Dr. Ana Baptista, 973-342-6056, [email protected]; Kim Gaddy, 973-420-7925, [email protected]; Maria Lopez-Nunez, 201-978-6660, [email protected]; and/or Dr. Nicky Sheats, 609-558-4987, [email protected].

Let’s not just say Black Lives Matter, let’s mean it, justice delayed is justice denied.

Respectfully,

Ironbound Community Corporation Fair Share Housing Development New Jersey Environmental Justice Alliance Garden State Equality Clean Water Action Gloucester County NAACP 32BJ SEIU Housing & Community Development Network of NJ BlueWaveNJ HPAE Camden County NAACP Branch # 2080 Hudson County Central Labor Council CWA Local 1036 IFPTE Local 194 CWA Local 1081 Latino Action Network Foundation Latino Coalition of NJ Clean Ocean Action Make the Road New Jersey Climate Justice Alliance Metuchen-Edison Branch, NAACP ClumateMama NAACP Newark NJ Clinton Hill Community Action National Organization for Women of New Jersey Coalition Against the Pilgrim Pipeline New Brunswick Area NAACP Coalition for the Delaware River Watershed New Jersey Black Issues Convention (NJBIC) Coalition to Ban Unsafe Oil Trains New Jersey Citizen Action Coalition to Save South Mountain Reservation New Jersey Institute for Social Justice Community In Action New Jersey Policy Perspective Concerned Citizens Coalition of Long Branch New Jersey Working Families Delaware Riverkeeper Network Salvation and Social Justice Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. Southern Burlington County NAACP Environmental DivestNJ Coalition & Climate Justice Committee Don't Gas the Meadowlands Coalition 350NJ Rockland Don't Gas the Pinelands Action Together New Jersey Earthjustice Africa 400 Years. Org Ecological Solutions LLC African Diaspora for JUSTICE (#AD4Justice) Energy Justice Network American Reentry Initiative Eglise Baptist de Ebene-zer Anti-Poverty Network of New Jersey Environment New Jersey Archangel Raphael's Mission Environmental Defense Fund Asbury Park Complete Streets Coalition Env’l. Justice Team - Unitarian Society of Ridgewood Asbury Park Democratic Committee EraseTheRedline Inc. Assoc. of NJ Environmental Commissions (ANJEC) Essex County Federation of Democratic Women Banking on New Jersey Evangelical Haitian Church of Jesus Christ Bayonne Nature Club Evangelical Lutheran Church in America - NJ Synod Bethany Baptist School of Biblical Studies Faith In New Jersey Bergen County Green Party Federation of Democractic Women Burlington County Bergen County Immigration Strategy Group Fifth and Sixth Ward Neighborhood Association of Bergen SWAN New Brunswick Bethany Baptist Church First Congregational Church UCC of Park Ridge, NJ Beyond The Walls CDC Food & Water Action Black Human Rights Defender Footprint to Wings Camden Clean Air Franciscan Response to Fossil Fuel Camden Shade Tree Advisory Board Franklin Township (Somerset County) Council CEA Church of God in Christ Franklin Twp (Som Cty) Environmental Comm Center for Sustainability at Ramapo College of NJ Franklin Twp Environmental Commission Environmental Defenders Franklin Twp. JFK Democratic Club - Somerset, NJ Central Jersey Coalition Against Endless War Black Issues Convention Central Jersey Environmental Defenders Cooperate Asbury Christ Bible Fellowship Delta Sigma Theta Citizens for Oceanfront Preservation Franklin Woman’s Club Citizens United for Renewable Energy (CURE) Friends of City of Newark Environmental Commission Global Alliance for Incinerator Alternatives Church of the Atonement Good Neighbor Baptist Church Graceland Gospel Church My Daughter Your Daughter, Inc. Greater Cornerstone Baptist Church Natural Resources Defense Council Greater Newark Alliance of Black School Educators Nehemiah Group Greater Newark Conservancy Neighborhood Sun Benefit Corp Green Amendments For The Generations Neptune City Homeowners Green Muslims of New Jersey New Beginnings Green Ridgewood New Community Corp. GreenFaith NJ and NY Awareness Project for Climate Justice Grid Alternatives New Jersey Appleseed Public Interest Law Center Groundwork Elizabeth New Jersey Audubon Hackensack Riverkeeper New Jersey Bike & Walk Coalition Haitian Church of God of Newark New Jersey Climate Save Haitian Pastors Association New Jersey Conservation Foundation Holy Mountain Church NJ Education Association - Essex County Retirees Homes for all Newark,NJ New Jersey Future Hopewell Township Citizens Against the PennEast New Garden State, Church of God in Christ Pipeline New Jersey Federation of Democtratic Women HUD Tenants Coalition New Jersey Highlands Coalition I Create Inc New Jersey League of Conservation Voters Iota Phi Theta New Jersey Pan-African Chamber of Commerce and Indivisible Cranbury Industry Indivisible NJ 5th District New Jersey Sustainable Business Council Indivisible Lambertville/New Hope New Jersey Tenants Organization Interfaith Action Movement (I AM) New Jersey Tree Foundation Investor Advocates for Social Justice NJ-NY Metro Pachamama Alliance Community Ironbound Superneighborhoods New Jersey Youth Climate Strike Jersey Renews Coalition New Light Baptist Community Church JOLT USA Newark Interfaith Alliance Jubilation Choir Newark Water Coalition L'Eglise Baptist Beracha NJ 11th For Change La Casa de Don Pedro NJ Association UCC Social Justice Task Force League of Women Voters of New Jersey (LWV) NJ Poor People's Campaign: A National Call for Moral Liberating Word Ministries Revival Liberty State Park for All NJ Sierra Club Lincoln Park Coast Cultural District NJ Sierra Club - NJ Skylands Group LWV of Ridgewood NJ Sierra Club - Raritan Valley Group LWV Southern Monmouth County NJ Skylands Sunrise Movement Hub Lutherans Engaging in Advocacy Ministry NJ State Industrial Union Council Macedonia Ministries NJ Student Sustainability Coalition Midtown Urban Renaissance Corporation NJ21United Metropolitan SDA Church North Jersey Sierra Club Middletown for Clean Energy Northern New Jersey NOW Middlesex County Federation of Democratic Women NY/NJ Baykeeper Moms Clean Air Force, New Jersey Occupy Bergen County MoveOn.org Hoboken RESIST Our Revolution Essex County Our Revolution Monmouth Sunrise Hunterdon County Our Revolution Ocean County Sunrise Movement Montclair Our Revolution Passaic County Surfrider Foundation - Jersey Shore Chapter OurSociety.org Surfrider Foundation Pinelands Preservation Alliance Sustainable Jersey City PosiGen Solar Teaneck Creek Conservancy Princeton Progressive Action Group (PPAG) Tracey Stephens Interior Design Inc Rancocas Conservancy Trust for Public Land Raritan Borough Environmental Commission The Center for Environmental Transformation Raritan Headwaters The Climate Mobilization Hoboken Chapter Raritan Valley Comm. College Environmental Club The Ethical Culture Society of Bergen County Regional Plan Association The Land Conservancy of New Jersey Rise to Resilience The Moving Forward Network Riverkeeper The Resistance Cafe Roadside International Rutgers-Camden College Democrats The Wei LLC Rutgers-Newark Students for Justice in Palestine Trenton Meeting of Friends Rutgers University Students for Environmental Trinity Episcopal Church of Asbury Park Awareness Tristate Transportation Campaign Rutgers University Sustainability Coalition Unexpected Wildlife Refuge Sacred Heart School Unified Vailsburg Services Organization Save Asburys Waterfront Unitarian Universalist FaithAction NJ Scott A Weiner Associates LLC Unitarian Universalist-Sussex Co. Social Action Team Second Baptist Church Salem NJ United Community Corporation Setting the Captives Free Ministries Urban League of Essex County Shiloh A.M.E. ZION Church Vote Solar South Jersey Democratic Socialists of America Waterfront Alliance South Jersey NOW-Alice Paul Chapter Waterspirit South Jersey Progressive Democrats West Windsor Environmental Club South Ward Environmental Alliance Westfield 20/20 South Ward Promise Neighborhood Wind of the Spirit Immigrant Resource Center St. Matthew A.M.E. Church WHYSaveALife Foundation St. Luke AME CHURCH